Suggested Changes to the Campus MP Palette

  Submitted by JP Wade, Chair- Environmental Responsibility Committee / Academic Senate  2/25/05

 

Large Trees:

Live Oak                                N-D; heavy shading will only allow low light understory

Bur Oak                                  N-D

Cedar Elm                              N-D; great tree; nesting material for Altimara Oriole

Montezuma Bald Cypress  N-E; should be planted as close to resacas as possible

Texas Pecan                          N-D; great food source for Red-crowned Parrots and Gree Parakeets

                                                (Carya illinoinensis)

Texas Persimmon                 N-D; great looking tree when mature

Coma del Sur                         N-E; should be used for fragrance only; heavily thorned

                Rio Grande Ash                    N-E; great shade tree; llok at trees by Morgue 

 (Los Fresnos)

Weeping Fig                         DELETE

Jacaranda                              N-E; very thorny but very showy in bloom

Royal Poinciana                   Non-native; use only for demo purpose of flowers

 

ADD:

Sugar Hackberry (Celtis laevigata)    N-E 50’; fast grower; low water; 30 yrs; wildlife; shade

Huisache (Acacia smallii)                                   N-D 25’; low-mod water; 30-50 yrs; fragrant yellow blooms; thorns

Anaqua (Ebretia anacua)                                    N-E 40’; slow grower; low water; 50+ yrs; white flowers; fruit for

wildlife

Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa)          N-D 25’; med grower; low-mod water; 50+ yrs; light shade

Southern Magnolia (Magnolia gradiflora)       Non-E for demo only

Tepequaje (LEucaena pulverulenta)                 N-D; 40’; fast grower; moderate water; 30-50 yrs; wildlife; light

shade

Black Willow (Salix nigra)                   N-E; 60’; fast grower; high water, near resacas best; 30-50 yrs

Texas Ebony (Pithecellobium ebano)               N-E; 40’; slow grower; 50+ yrs; white flowers; thorns

Retama (Parkinsonia aculeate)                           N-D 25’; fast grower; 30 year life span; low – mod water; thorns;

yellow flowers

Palo Verde (Cercidium macrum)                         Ash (Los Fresnos) Ash (Los Fresnos) N-E; 10’; yellow flowers; food

source

 

Small Trees

 

Mexican Olive                       N-E; showy but trashy; keep away from walkways,etc.

Mexican Cesalpinia              Non-N; demo only

Texas Mountain Laurel       N-E; fragranceUse Bottlebrush only for demo (red flower)

Sabal Palm (Sabal texana) N-E; 50’; slow grower; low water; 50+ yrs; cold tolerant

Mexican Fan Palm                (Washingtonia robusta) Non-E; 60’; slow grower; low water; 50+ yrs; freeze damage

 

Large Palms

 

Texas Sabal (Sabal texana)                                 N; slow grower; next to Resaca; needs water

California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)  Delete from list

Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta)    Non-n; good nesting site for parrots/parakeets

All other palms:                                                    Delete from pallete, or use for demo purpose only

 

Small Palms

 

All small palms are for demonstration only

 

Shrubs

 

Dwarf Oleanders                  DELETE

Standard Oleander               DELETE

Dwarf Yaupon Holly            Non-native; use Desert Yaupon-N (Shafferia cuneifolia)

Dwarf Pittosporum               Demo only

Sage Cenizo                          Native; blooms after rainfall; showy blooms; 6’

Bougainvillea                        Demo only; thorns; showy foliage; no foodsource

Bird of Paradise                    Demo only

Yucca varieties                     Use native (Yucca treculeana)

Hibiscus varieties                                Demo only for non-N; native hibiscus/rose mallow;

                                                                                                (Hibiscus martianus)

Lantana varieties                  Use Natives (Lantana achyranthifolia, L. camara, L. horrida, L.

macropoda, L. microcephala, L. scrota); butterflies; hybrids typically produce no foodsource, only  color

Shrimp plant                          Native (Beloperone guttata) butterflies, hummingbirds

Rose varieties                       Demo only

Hamellia                 Non-native; showy red blooms; hummingbirds

Duranta                                  Non-native; profuse grower; butterflies & insects

Ixora varieties                       DELETE

Gardenia varieties                Demo only; fragrance

Blue daze                               DELETE

African Iris                            DELETE

Plumgabo                              Native not recommended; skin irritation; non-native Demo only

Liriope varieties                    ???????

Firecracker Bush                  Non-N, but great border shrub; showy red flowers; hummingbirds

Barbados Cherry                  Use N only; 3-6’; E; produces pink flowers and red fruit; food

Natal Plum                             DELETE, or demo only

Fountain Grass var.             DELETE, or demo only

Coral Honeysuckle                 ???????  vine

Indian Hawthorne                Non-N; demo only; great border, but slow grower; part shade

Ginger Varieties                    Non-N; demo only; shade to part shade

Dwarf Poinciana                   Non-N; demo only

Dracena var. (Thai)              Non-N; demo only

Croton var.                            Most non-N; demo only; N: Cr. Humilis- host for Tropical

Leafwing

Red Banana/var.                   Non-N; demo only; good food source

 

ADD:

Chile Piquin                           N; (Capsicum annuum); 3-5’; food source for birds

Spiny hackberry                   N; (Celtis pallida) thorny; good food source

Yellow Sophora                    N; (Sophora tomentosa) 4-6’; yellow flowers

Mountain Torchwood         N; (Amyris madrensis) 4-6’; fragrance; small white flowers

Resin Bush                            N; Golden Eye; showy yellow flower; 3’

Wild Petunia                         N; (Petunia parviflora); 1-3’; showy purple flower; don’t use

non-N, too invasive

Wild Tobacco                       N; 2-3’; white flower

Blue Mistflower                    N- SPI species; 2-4’ bush; butterflies

Fiddlewood                           N; 3-6’; red fruit

Lotebush                               N; (Zisiphus obtusifolia); thorns, but full green shrub

 

Ground Cover

 

Ruellia var.                            Use N only; others are too invasive; see Shrub listing

Asian Jasmine                      DELETE; non-N; demo only

Asparagus Fern                   Non-N; demo only

Wedelia                                 Use N (Wedelia hispida); 3’; flowers yellow/orange; drought resistant

Confederate Jasmine           Non-N; demo only

Dwarf Bougainvillea            DELETE

 

Pothoys Aureus                   DELETE; Invasive vine; needs lots of water; destroys brick over time

Rhoeo                                    DELETE

Day Lilies                              Demo only; great color; many varieties

Salvia                                     Use N only (Salvia ballotaeflora- Blue sage; Salvia coccinea- Red)

                Vinca var.                                              DELETE; non-N

                Verbena var.                         Use N var. only (Dakota Vervain- Verbena bipinnatifida, Beaked Vervain- Ver.

Quadrangulata, Hillside Vervain- Ver. Neomexicana, Rio Grande Vervain- Ver. Runyonii)

 

ADD:                                      Annuals-flowering

Parralena                                N; (Thymophylla pentachaeta); showy yellow flower

Pink Mint                               N; (Stachys drummondii); showy

Scarlet Pimpernell N; (Anagallis arvensis); showy scarlet flower

Powderpuff                           N; (Mimosa strigillosa); showy pink flower

                Mexican Hat                          N; (Ratibida columnaris); showy flower; full sun

                Indian Blanket                      N; (Gaillardia pulchella); showy flower; full sun

                Golden Wave                        N; (Coreopsis tinctoria); showy yellow flower; full sun

                Palafoxia                                N; 2 varieties (Pal. texana, Pal. ambigua); purple flowers

                Hierba de Marrano               N; (Aster subulatus); violet-white flower

                Lazy Daisy                            N; (Aphanostesus ramosissimus); white flower; full sun

                Texas Frog Fruit                   N; (Phyla nodiflora); great butterfly plant

                Heliotrope                             N;(Heliotropium angiospermum); white flower; butterflies

 

 

Vines

                Fig Vine                                 DELETE

                English Ivy                            DELETE

                Bougainvillea sp.                 DELETE

                Mexican Flame/Love V.       non-N, but very showy and good for butterflies

Butterfly Pea Vine                N; (Centrosema virginianum); showy purple flower

Cape Honeysuckle               non-N; flowers, insect food source

Snail Vine                              ??????

Malay Vine                            DELETE; demo only

Mandevilla                            DELETE; demo only

Pandora Vine                        DELETE

Passion Vine                         use N. sp. Only; (Corona de Cristo- Passiflora foetida; Pass. Filipes; Pass. Suberosa;

Pass. Tenuiloba)

                Allamanda                             DELETE; demo only

                Climbing Rose var.               non-N; demo only; N sp. Zarzamora (Rubus trivialis); food source

                Hyacinth Bean                      DELETE

               

ADD:

Blue Boneset                        N; Blue mistflower; butterflies; also different species on SPI

makes more of a bush

Balloon Vine                         N; (Cardiospermum halicacabum); food source

Morning Glory                      N; (Ipomoea amnicola); pinkish flower

Moon Flower                        N; (Ipomoea alba); large white flower

Oja de Vibora                        N; (Evolvulus alsinoides); small purple flower